Starting July 1, Gerald DeMello will fill the Big Island seat on the state Board of Land & Natural Resources. UH-Hilo official is approved
to fill seat on state Land BoardGov. Ben Cayetano's nomination of DeMello, University of Hawaii-Hilo's director of community relations, was unanimously approved Wednesday by the state Senate.
Sen. Lorraine Inouye (D, North Hilo-Hamakua-South Kohala) had asked the state Attorney General's Office about whether there could be a potential conflict between DeMello's university position and serving on the board.
Inouye said she was told DeMello would have to recuse himself when the board votes on university matters.
Cayetano had originally nominated former Hawaii County Planning Director Virginia Goldstein for the four-year post. He later withdrew Goldstein's nomination after Inouye told him the appointment was in trouble.
Inouye said she had received a flood of protests about Goldstein's actions as planning director under former Mayor Stephen Yamashiro's pro-development administration.
Isle leader in fellowship
Kathryn Matayoshi, director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs since 1995, has been selected to participate in the Toll Fellowship Program, Sept. 28-Oct. 3.This year, Matayoshi is one of 40 state leaders from across the nation who will participate in the annual fellowship, which is sponsored by the Council of State Governments.
The program is held in Lexington, Ky., and is named in honor of Henry Toll, a Colorado senator who founded the council.
The CSG is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization "that seeks to foster excellence in state government," says its Web site.
Matayoshi previously worked for a Honolulu law firm and served in the Hawaiian Electric Co. legal department.
Matayoshi is the daughter of former Big Island Mayor Herbert Matayoshi and State Volunteer Services Director Mary Matayoshi.
Reps. Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa), Eric Hamakawa (D, South Hilo-Puna) and David Pendleton (R, Kailua-Kaneohe) and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D, Waianae) are Hawaii alumni of the fellowship from the last four years.
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